Jewish Communities in Austria Ask Government to Act on Restitution

November 25, 1957

VIENNA (Nov. 24)

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Austria submitted a new memorandum today to the Austrian Government urging prompt action for settlement of claims of Austrian Jews for restitution of losses suffered during the 1933-1945 period.

The memorandum charged that nothing had been done by the Government in the 12 years since Austria’s liberation to fulfill obligations of the state treaty requiring restoration of the rights and interests of political persecutees of the Nazi system.

The memorandum noted that in the state treaty, Austria had renounced restitution demands of Austrian citizens on Germany, thus taking on the responsibility for such action. The Federation “therefore demands” legislation by which Austrians who suffered losses in the 1933-1945 period because of political opinions, race, religion or nationality should receive the same benefits as those now given to beneficiaries of the Nazi Victims Law and War Victims Law, the memorandum said.

The Federation declared that a lump sum or pension should be provided to Austrian Jews in that category and that legislation should be passed to require the compensation of Austrian Jews whose shops and industrial enterprises were forcibly liquidated by the Nazis and for various anti-Jewish taxes levied by the Nazis.